Father Hrothweard

Father Hrothweard was an Anglo-Saxon priest from Northumbria who, in 878, led a revolt against the Danish occupiers of York, driving them from the city.

Biography
Hrothweard was born in Eoferwic, Northumbria to an Anglo-Saxon Catholic family, and he pursued a career as a priest in Eoferwic. He lived at the time of the Danish occupation of his homeland, and he became a fanatic, inspired by tales of King Alfred the Great's glory. In 878, while the Viking warlords Erik and Sigefrid Thurgilsson were away on campaign in Scotland, Hrothweard led a revolt against Haesteinn's Danish garrison, massacring them and taking back the city for the Saxons. He was overjoyed when Uhtred of Bebbanburg arrived in the city after the uprising, hailing his heroism at the Battle of Edington.